The Operations Director, Andy Munro, has been left with the responsibility of delivering the fifty or so projects that he and his team have been responsible for on behalf of Birmingham City Council and the local Jewellery Quarter community.

Dave Mahony, Jewellery Quarter Association Chair, on behalf of the Community Campaign Group said “it is a sad day for the Quarter to lose such dedicated staff but we now need to ensure that the City Council deliver on its promises”.

Following extensive lobbying by the JQ lobby, Birmingham City Council has agreed to keep the Information Centre, its commitment to the delivery of the £1.75m Golden Square project and its intention to bid for World Heritage Status for the Quarter.

We are now awaiting further confirmation of BCC’s support to the delivery of an agreed Action Plan containing the various projects necessary for the sustainability of the Jewellery Quarter and the part that it will play in the Big City Plan.

Prim Currie, Marie, Claire Hill & Lydia Davies

‘The City Council remains committed to the Jewellery Quarter and will continue to support it in every way it can, particularly how we market this unique asset to the outside world.  The City Council supports the Jewellery Quarter in many ways

- Investment in Capital projects

- Officer time to support and manage initiatives

- Maintenance of our property stock

- Running tourist attractions such as the Jewellery Quarter museum

- Supporting the Jewellery Quarter Regeneration partnership and the initiatives it helps deliver generally around marketing.

We will continue to invest in capital projects.  In the last year we have directly supplemented improvements at St Pauls Square, the Cemeteries and the Jewellery Quarter Museum.  In coming years investment from the City Council in capital projects and the maintenance of its property will be circa £4m.  Key public realm projects such as the Golden Square and Albion Square will be implemented alongside further improvements to the cemeteries.

We will also continue to direct officer time to support initiatives in the Jewellery Quarter often working alongside local partners.  My staff are preparing an Action Plan which will help us support the Quarter and monitor activity.

With regard to the Jewellery Quarter Partnership team and the specific points you raised.  There will remain an officer (currently Andy Munro) focussed on the Quarter.  We have had to reshape the back office functions and premises costs of the team.  As I have said we will retain a dedicated post.  The Tourist Information Centre will continue until the Golden Square Project is on site, which itself will transform the way we market the Quarter to businesses, vistors and residents.  The City Council funding to ‘In-bloom’ and the Christmas lights will continue in 2010/2011.

I am more than happy to continue the dialogue about how the City Council can make more effective its input into the Jewellery Quarter as suggested at our recent meeting.’

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The JQ Lobby is for people who are passionate about the future of the Jewellery Quarter!

It has been set up by representatives of the following groups as a forum to raise awareness of the changes in funding provided by Birmingham City Council (BCC) to the Jewellery Quarter Regeneration Partnership (JQRP)

• Jewellery Quarter Association (JQA)
• Jewellery Quarter Marketing Initiative (JQMI)
• Jewellery Quarter Neighbourhood Forum
• Jewellery Industry Business Strategy Group

The view expressed on this blog are personal to each blogger and may not necessarily represent the official views of these organisations.

The Story So Far!

In December (2009) Birmingham City Council issued Redundancy Notices to its four staff working in the Jewellery Quarter Regeneration Partnership offices.  Rumours flashed around the Jewellery Quarter of these ‘lay offs’ followed by speculation about Birmingham City Council’s commitment to the development of the Quarter.

Various groups (see above) within the Quarter requested a meeting with Councillor Neville Summerfield (the Cabinet Member at BCC with responsibility for Regeneration) to protest at the lack of consultation over these cuts and to seek clarification about the future.  A meeting took place on 21st January after which the various groups united to send a letter to BCC requesting the following:

1. The community asks that BCC should prepare a plan of action for 2010/11 explaining how they will support existing projects.
2. The community still believes that the BCC officer needs to be full-time based in the Quarter.  Otherwise the bid for World Heritage Site Status seems a bit ‘half hearted’.
3. That the Information Centre should remain open and located in the centre of the Quarter.
4. That the current marketing budget should remain ‘in situ’.

Responses from BCC both in terms of letters and verbal messages (and rumour) seem to be suggesting that BCC is moving towards agreeing to some of the community’s requests… updates will follow as they become available.

What Can You Do?

1. Sign up to this site so we can demonstrate to BCC that we have support to the local community.
2. Let us know your views!
3. Tell anybody else who you think may be affected or interested!
4. If you are interested in what is happening in the Quarter, contact the groups which most adequately represent your views and ask them how you can support them.

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